get_text_at_offset, get_text_after_offset, get_text_before_offset

[lucy brophy <lucy brophy ireland sun com>]

I am currently implementing the gail function get_text_before_offset. 

The implementation of get_text_at_offset returns an entire word,
sentence or line depending on the boundary condition passed into it. 
The start pointer is moved so that what is returned in the buffer is
beginning with a complete word.

The implementation of get_text_after_offset returns a buffer from the
point of the offset to the boundary condition.  This means that partial
words can be returned at the start of the return buffer.

If get_text_before_offset is written to correspond with
get_text_after_offset it will return a buffer from the boundary
condition to the offset, again possibly returning a partial word.

Is there any use/point to returning a partial word?  What use is a
partial word to a screen reader? Should I change both the after_offset
and before_offset functions to return entire words at the start and end
respectively?
Would it not be more useful to return the line, sentence, or word before
or after the point indicated to by the offset?  (Thus at_offset would
return the line, sentence, or word at the offset)

Any thoughts on this would be great,
Thanks,
Lucy
-- 

Nothing contributes so much to tranquilizing the mind as a steady
purpose - a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye.
	-- Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley 
 
=====================================================================
Lucy Brophy
Sun Microsystems Ireland Ltd
East Point Business Park
Dublin 3
Ireland

Tel:	+353 1 8199072
eMail:	lucy brophy ireland sun com